The 212.6 miles of the southern upland way include coastal cliffs, upland moors, hills and mountains, meadows, riverbanks, loch side paths, farmland, parkland, woodland, country estates, paths across dams, farm tracks, drove roads, roman roads, ancient trade routes, and coffin routes. There are numerous stiles, kissing gates, and many bridges to cross both literal and metaphorical. The trail visits neolithic burial sites, cairns old and new, lead mines, ruined farms, pele towers, ancient earthworks, modern sculptures, fairy wells, castles, standing stones, covenanter memorials, one of the seven stanes, and the world’s oldest post office. Nature is all around, deciduous and coniferous woodland, numerous plants, farm animals as well as rabbits, hares (in both winter and summer coats), deer, mice, squirrels, foxes, and various birds both large and small. We walked in all weathers and trod upon dirt, mud, rock, grass, tussocks, heather, sand and even seaweed.
Our lunch spots were grassy knolls, tree stumps, sylvan glades, hillsides, a bus shelter, dense forest, moors (bleak and less bleak), ruined buildings (twice), deserted sheds, stiles (twice), sheep shielings, benches, dips, logs, and mossy banks.
According to the official guide the SUW is 212.6 miles long , but our GPS logged 230.2 miles. 6.8 miles were diversions off the official route either to visit interesting places or get to/from our cars, so our SUW distance was 10.8 miles longer than the official distance. 11.1 miles were above 500m and our highest point was at 725m on Lowther Hill. The SUW misses the top by 2m but we went the extra 2m.
The official guide splits the walk into 16 sections, varying in length from 7.75 miles to 20.5 miles. I split the walk into 19 sections, varying in length from 8.7 miles to 15.2 miles. The longest walks whether in distance or time were not the most arduous and in retrospect I think we were right to keep the distances below 15 miles for each day. We had more time to stop and stare.
The plan had been that a group of us would walk the complete Southern Upland Way one day at a time. I had foreseen that we would not all be available to walk each section together so some members of the group might walk some sections on different days, but I hoped we would resynchronise every so often. The first such synchronisation was to be at Beattock. I expected to re-walk some sections and thought the whole thing might take us 18 months.
Audrey and I have now completed the walk (between August 2013 and July 2014), but we were joined on several sections by other friends: David, Elaine, Joanna, Derek and Gwyneth. The company was a great help and everyone did their bit providing humour, stoicism, knowledge, encouragement, navigational advice, sweeties (both natural and processed), transport, eagle-eyes, and sunscreen when needed.
My recurring fantasy was of sitting with my feet in cool running water at the end of a hot day’s walking, and at Abbey St Bathans I sat in the sun, at the end of a 12 mile walk with my feet in the cool waters of the Whiteadder. Living the dream.
I carried a pebble from the west coast to the east coast. Hidden along the way are thirteen kists, hordes of specially minted coins called 13ths hidden in individually sculpted containers. The word “Ultreia” is found on way-markers to give clues that the kists are nearby. We have come away with nine. (PS we subsequently found a tenth)
There are two sections with alternative routes. Between Cogshead and Wanlock Water there is the standard SUW route which takes a direct line across the upland moors and the longer alternative which I imagine exists to provide a detour if the moors are in use for grouse shooting. It winds north along forestry tracks through what is mostly forest on the map but is much more open now after felling. This track joins the “Set in Stone” geology trail for the last 2.8 miles into Wanlockhead. We returned to walk the alternative route in August and found the coin horde we had missed before.
We walked the other alternative route in October. It offers a choice between a high level route over Croft Head (637m) or a low level route beside Wamphray Water. I can only presume this is to offer a detour if the lower level route is closed for forestry operations or the weather makes the high level route too dangerous.
A few more stats:
Average mileage 12.1
Average climb 542m
Average time 5h 45m
Average mph 2.2
Average in excess of Naismith’s predicted time 30 minutes
Maximum elevation – Mount Lowther 725m
Minimum elevation – The North Channel and the North Sea sea level
Maximum climb – Beattock to Potburn 881m
Smallest climb – Tannylaggie to Caldons 263m
Total Net Climb – minus 39m (yes it is possible)
Shortest walk – Sanquhar to Wanlockhead 3h 45m (also shortest distance 8.7 miles)
Longest walk – Clenrie to Stroanfreggan 6h 37m (flooded fields etc)
Quickest pace 2.6 mph (Galashiels toLauder and Lauder to Watch Water)
Slowest pace 1.8 mph (Beattock to Potburn, steep climbs and trudging through snow)
The eastern section of the SUW, from the River Tweed at Yair to the North Sea is 50.2 of the SUW’s 212 miles, though our journey clocked up 54.1 miles with 2628m ascent. This took us across the Tweed three times, over the Lammermuir Hills, and to the coastal cliffs overlooking the North Sea.
The official end of the walk is at the Mercat Cross in Cockburnspath, but 150m short of that is an information shelter that also claims to be the end of the SUW. For me though, the SUW is a coast to coast walk and ended at the coast as I dipped my feet in the water of Cove Harbour.
The Eastern section of the SUW, from the Tweed to the North Sea, took us along riverbanks, through farmland, woodland and finally a cliff top walk. The ruggedness of the west was now long behind us and we found ourselves walking into summer weather. To be honest I lost my SUW mojo a little in the Lammermuirs but after that the end was in our grasp and I got my energy back. At Twinlaw we looked excitedly for our first glimpse of the North Sea and again each time we reached high ground, but we were denied until within a kilometre of coast. We had found one kist but missed two.
Route: SUW Abbey St Bathans to Cockburnspath, plus Cove Harbour
This was the final leg of our Southern Upland Way trek and the weather forecast was for heavy rain all day, the TV news was warning of bad weather, the met office had issued an amber warning and our drove took us past several signs warning of the heavy rain. But we’ve seen it all before and came prepared with waterproofs and spare clothing.
We set off from the car park at the Riverside Restaurant in Abbey St Bathans, across the Whiteadder ford, having paused to watch some ducks (and a curlew) and rejoined the SUW by the rusty ostrich. The rain seemed to have stopped and it was pretty muggy so the waterproofs stayed in our bags.
The first section of this walk is in a valley carrying the Whare Burn. There is a grassy track which passes some cottages with a wide selection of flowers then skirts woodland beside the burn. The Burn itself was covered with small white flowers growing from a plant growing in the water, there were plenty of insects, both the annoying kind and butterflies. Ahead of us we could se birds of prey having a bit of a disagreement.
Path to Whiteburn
The SUW then left the track and climbed up across a field, the way indicated by a mown track. We walked watched by cows and calves up to an impressive cairn with a red weather cock atop. The cairn looked to be leaning slightly and had a fence around it but with a gate. There looked to be a small plinth that could have held an information board but there is nothing now. The cairn was apparently built to celebrate 100 years of tenure of the Whiteburn Farm by the Cockburn family (1848-1948). After this we passed through some trees and reached a minor road and Whiteburn Farm. A large sign here advertised the ultimate drink experience, but we had to leave that for another day.
Cairn near Whiteburn
The SUW here takes a detour around the farm rejoining the farm track on the far side of the buildings. A deer watched us then bounded away in the adjacent field. The track soon turned left but we struck out across a field, as advised by the SUW markers, and came to a minor road close to a lay-by. I had intended this to be our first drink stop but I must have been distracted and didn’t notice it.
We turned right after a short walk and followed a farm track down towards Blackburn Mill. On the way we passed a black bull lying by the fence. He had a heart on his shoulder which caught our eye. As we were taking some photos the farmer arrived and told us that they needed two bulls because there were so many cows but this rather forlorn beast was the number two bull and had been having a hard time of it in disputes with the other bull. He had a sore foot so was resting here on his own. The heart is apparently a Rawburn mark.
Bull with Heart
At the bottom of the slope we crossed Eye Water and turned right. Another bird of prey was active here. The track turned left but a sign asked SUW walkers to follow a route in a field rather than stay on the road. I did wonder who other than walkers could be following the SUW. Anyway an SUW gate invited us onto the grass. Unfortunately I difficulty squeezing through the gate, which would only open wide enough for the most lithe to pass. with some wriggling I passed the litheness test. Audrey and Gwyneth having watched my contortions, diagnosed the problem and opened the gate the other way. I have reflected on this experience and though they may have gained points for observation and intelligence, I did pass the litheness test that they chose to forego.
The field did not have a definite track other than immediately next to a beech hedge. Audrey thought this had been made by cows rather than people and I’m inclined to agree. You could only use the track by leaning out to avoid the hedge poking into your face. The alternative was very uneven ground. I don’t know why but there were lots of butterflies in the field. We left the field by another gate but this was designed to only open the one way.
A farm track led us to Blackburn Farm that was quite extensive with several Yorkshire boarded buildings. there weren’t any animals about though and I thought it looked like the kind of place one sees in gangster films. I didn’t see any film crews though. On the way out we passed a rusting pump that looked to be a piece of industrial sculpture rather than scrap. A minor road from the farm lead down to the A1, and by now we were looking for a spot to stop for a snack. I don’t like stopping near farms because it feels like having a break in someones garden.
There were no obvious places to sit so we took a break where the drive to Blackburn House left the road. Unfortunately about five minutes after our rest, the rain reached us. At first it was the odd spot but soon increased to the point that waterproof jackets were needed non-waterproof stuff was packed away. So we approached the A! in rain. Across the valley were some very tall trees with little foliage except on top suggesting the woods had been more extensive until recently.
The A1
An SUW sign told us were half-way, since both Abbey St Bathans and Cockburnspath were 5 miles. The A1 was busy but we didn’t have to wait too long before a break in traffic allowed us to cross. I don’t think Audrey was paying attention though because she didn’t cross and we had to wait another couple of minutes for her to get another chance.
There is a grassy path cut through the undergrowth on the far side of the A1 which winds along and reaches a tarmac road, the old A1. Its surprising how narrow this road was, and how quickly nature is beginning to overgrow it. The surface was very slippery, in places it was like walking on ice.
The main east coast railway to to our right. We passed a large concrete structure where the Pease Burn passed under the railway. I think this is some sort of siphon to protect the railway if the burn floods. We crossed the railway on a footbridge with signs asking that any vehicle impact with the bridge be reported to the police.
Penmanshiel Cottage
Once over the Railway we were in Penmanshiel Woods. We passed a derelict Penmanshiel Cottage with some unusual pink flowers. My photos didn’t turn out but perhaps G or A will have photos that allow us to identify it.
We were now walking on a woodland tack covered with pine needles and cones. The path gradually climbed and we were soon high above the burn. The OS map route of the SUW is rather confusing here but the route is well signed and much simpler than the OS map would suggest. In addition to the usual sounds of a forest we could hear shooting off to our left. Luckily it didn’t seem to be particularly close. By now our body clocks were recognising lunchtime but there were no handy logs or rocks to sit on. We decided to sit against a small bank that was relatively, dry being under thick branches and were able to dispense with our jackets.
Lunch in relative dryness, sitting down and sheltered from the elements recharged my batteries, though truth be told I was’t particularly in need of re-charging just then. After lunch we set off. Our waterproofs were packed away which was much more comfortable in the warm humid afternoon and when we later emerged from the trees the rain had stopped. About ten minutes after setting off after lunch we came to a bench that would have done nicely for lunch. I presume it was set where it was for the views but visibility was such that the only view was greyness beyond the trees. I imagine the sea would usually be visible from there.
After a gradual descent on the woodland track there was a steep narrow path down to the road at the bridge over Pease Dean. The bridge looked impressive but we didn’t find a good spot to photograph it. We decided to walk not the bridge for a better look at the deep wooded valley of Pease Dean. I hadn’t noticed it but Eagle-eyed Audrey spotted the sea from there, just visible 1km away. So we had to come to within a kilometre of the coast before we could see the sea. I sniffed for the odour of the sea but smelt Italian restaurant smell instead.
Pease Dean from the bridge
The next leg was through the Pease Dean Nature Reserve. the narrow grassy path here soaked my trousers below the calf. there were several steep descents with wooden steps. though these had chicken-wire on them they were still quite slippery and needed extra care. we crossed Pease Burn on footbridges and came to some newly constructed wooden steps and SUW gates that led us into a builder’s yard. What long distance footpath would be complete without sight of a cement mixer? Outside the builders yard there was a way around it.
Pease Dean Nature Reserve
We were now at a large seaside caravan park but there was a sea mist so the sea only 200m away was only just visible. some of the static mobile homes by the road look to be very nice (and I am sure, expensive) with excellent views on a clear day. The very minor road we now stood on had been the main Edinburgh-London coach route until the Pease Bridge was built in 1784. I certainly wouldn’t have fancied riding a coach on that steep narrow road. We walked up the road to a cottage with large bouncing dogs. Woof-woof- head appears above wall-woof-woof-another head appears briefly. It did look as if they were using a trampoline.
Signs indicated we should leave the road and join a cliff-top path. We were also now on the James Hutton Walk, one of the Borders Brains walks apparently.
Tricky gate
The cliff top walk was straightforward to follow. Most of the time it was on the sea side of the fence but did sometimes cross to the field side where we walked beside a field of barley. There was a kissing gate designed for the slighter walker and there was some smiling as I tried to wriggle through. It was fun to watch the others have the same problem. These gates aren’t designed for people with rucksacks.
Coast near Cove
Unfortunately, the sea mist stole the views from us though we could make out some of the rock formations. I gritted my teeth in annoyance when we walked past a sign warning of the dangers of falling off steep cliffs. There were no signs warning that the sea was wet, though.
The cliff top had a few unexplained structures: a white pole with steps like those on a telegraph pole (perhaps and old warning beacon); a pole with two dangling kite like structures (a scarecrow?); and a twisted railway track (some sort of sculpture). We could see Cove Harbour below us and decided that we needed to go down to the sea to have completed the Coast to Coast Walk. So where the SUW turned inland we continued on to the few houses above the harbour. There is a memorial here for those who lost their lives in a fishing disaster in 1881.
Fishing Disaster Memorial
We then turned down a path leading to the harbour. When the tide is in in would not have been possible to walk from one pier to another and a tunnel has built through the cliffs to allow access. Audrey and I were aware of the tunnel from reading our SUW guidebooks. Gwyneth was unaware and lagging a few paces behind us looking out to sea, so when Audrey and I turned into the tunnel, Gwyneth carried on the path.
So when we got down to the beach and looked around we saw Gwyneth up on the pier. She had though she would need to use a ladder to get down to us but luckily she found the stone steps. Cove harbour is a pretty place even when the surrounding area is shrouded in mist, but I’ll have to admit that my mind was concentrating on reaching the water’s edge to complete the Coast to Coast. As I strode across sea-weed I knew I was at the coast and when I dipped my feet in the North Sea I felt the walk was complete. Audrey did the same and we had a few minutes of exchanging cameras for photos.
Cove Harbour, the end of the coast to coast
That might have been the “end” of the walk in mind but the official end was still a mile away in Cockburnspath. So we walked back up to the cliff top and rejoined the SUW. A track took us past Cove Farm, under the main railway and the A1. By the Cockburnspath War Memorial is a Southern Upland Way information shelter with a sign reading “Cockburnspath – End of the Southern Upland Way”. So we posed for more end of the walk photos.
End of the SUW
The official end of the SUW though is at the Mercat Cross in Cockburnspath so we walked up (yes, up) the last 150m to the Mercat Cross for more photos.
We celebrated with Ginger Beer and bucket-and-spade cakes courtesy of Audrey.
So that is the SUW completed. It has taken us 19 days. We have walked 230.2 miles with 10,295m of climb (and obviously 10,295m of descent). The official distance is 212 miles and I worked out we walked 6.8 miles off piste so to speak, in walking to the car or visiting places off the SUW, so our SUW walk was 223.4 miles.
The End….except for the alternative sections…
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Route: SUW Watch Water Reservoir; Highest point 316m on Commonside
It was another long drive in for this walk, and we were held up in traffic on a very minor road near Millburn Bridge. This looked to be a local riding of the marches with a great many horses which came along the road then galloped up Cockburn Law. After this minor hold up we drove on to Abbey St Bathans and parked near the Riverside Gallery. The owner came out and asked us to park on the far side of the track rather than the restaurant car park. She also suggested we might nip in for a drink after our walk. There is an SUW information board here with leaflets and a cist map.
More than three hours after setting off we reached Watch Water and squeezed the car in next to those of the anglers practising their hobby in the reservoir. The sun shone brightly to remind us of the need for sunscreen and was to give us good weather for the whole of our day.
Ali’s Cairn, Great Dirrington and Cheviot in the background
We started with a brief uphill walk onto Windy Law, so we were soon warmed up. At the top of the slope is Ali’s Cairn, commemorating a local keeper, Alisdair Thomson who died in 2011 at just 39 years old. From his cairn there are views back across Watch Water to the cairns of Twinlaw and south with The Cheviot and the Dirrington Laws, Great and Little, these last two are ancient volcanic intrusions with man-made cairns visible on their summits. I stood watching a tractor moving through the filed by road, seagulls swarming about it, and saw several hares escaping ahead of it.
Rawburn Farm was very neat with a well tended tree lined avenue leading down from it. After that we walked down the single track road past a Water Treatment plant, with an emergency shower just inside the perimeter fence, over the Watch Water and down through trees alongside the Dye Water into Longformacus. There were plenty of wild- flowers in the hedgerows, including white, pink and purple foxgloves, and even a few bright red poppies. Longformacus has an SUW information board with more leaflets, booklets on walks near the eastern part of the SUW and SUW postcards. As we walked into Longformacus I had been assailed by swarms of insects. I thought I was being selectively targeted but once I got closer to Audrey and Gwyneth I felt a little better to find they had the same problem. Luckily, Audrey had brought insect repellent along and I squirted it on my hat. Gwyneth decided to be the control arm of the study and did without (at first). Once we had shaken off the flies we could have a snack in peace.
Dye Water
Rehydrated and refuelled we set off again. The SUW turned along the road to Ellemford Bridge, initially through trees but then in more open farmland with views along the Dye Water. Organic material on the road suggested that horses had passed that way before us.
Dye Water
After 3.4 miles of road walking the SUW crossed a stile, left the road behind and headed on to Otterburn Hill (which is not named on modern OS maps). Once over the stile it was not obvious which way to go. A shallow cleugh, if such a thing can exist, with rough ground either side climbed the hill, while an improved field stood across a fence. There was a gate, but that looked as if it would need machinery to open it, so working on the assumption that the SUW usually provides stiles or gates we ignored the gate and headed up the hill beside the red dirt of the cleugh.
As we climbed we could soon make out another stile at the top and once there an SUW marker post was visible on the hilltop beyond. Otterburn Hill has a look of moorland and there is a red dirt track across part of it. This red dirt was the first I recalled on the SUW, so perhaps we had walked into a different geological region. A fallen signpost informed us that Abbey St Bathans was 5.5 miles away oblong the SUW. A mile or so away to the SE on Black Hill stood a wind turbine farm, its blades all turning in unison.
On Otterburn Hill, amongst the grasses there were many small wildflowers and numerous thistles just coming into flower. There were several white thistles, which was a first for me. The remainder of the climb up Commonside was through a wonderful meadow. The grass was at that perfect height that allows you to trail your hands through its tops as you walk. There were a variety of small and large butterflies, which flew ahead of me like the hares that had run before the tractor earlier in the walk. To our left was a beechwood the branches of its trees loaded with nuts. And for extra colour, numerous small bright flowers by my feet.
The meadow ended at at fence with a stile. The SUW here takes a very short dogleg turning left across the stile than immediately right. This immediate right turn, which basically means we are heading in the same direction, could be missed, the only indication that we should head that way was a stile. There was presumably once a fence or gate there but now the stile stands alone. This led us along a short overgrown grassy break that was insect infested. A poor crow that looked none too well was hopping along ahead of us. A right turn, and more stiles took us over the highest point of this walk. I had hoped we might have our first glimpse of the North Sea from here, but it was not to be.
Beech Nuts
We had by then entered “lunch-time”, the period during which one looks for suitable spots for lunch…somewhere to sit that is not fly infested. I suppose we could have sat in the grass of the hillside but the flies were still following us. Our trek across untracked fields, following SUW posts, led us to a farm/forestry track that took us through Lodge Wood to the B6355. There were no likely lunch spots in the wood.
We passed Whitchester Lodge, which was a pretty sizeable lodge. We hadn’t sen the big house itself but it must be massive if the lodge was this size. The SUW only used the road for a very short distance and we soon reached the SUW sign pointing us up a track climbing the slopes of Abbey Hill. There was a drystone wall by the road that would have served as a seat but we thought it best to lunch away from the road.
Perhaps it says something about me, or perhaps even my English teacher that when I saw the sign by the road, “no more wind turbines in the Lammermuirs”, my first thought was that the first letter was not capitalised. The sign also gives a URL but it no longer exists so perhaps the battles have already been fought and one side or the other has won through.
Abbey Hill
So, still in lunch-search-mode we took the path zig-zagging up the slope. A new signpost pointed to Windy Windshiel and an information board told us a little more. It was 500m off our course and there did not look to be any obvious track so we stuck with the SUW. The track we were on ended at a a gate. I had thought we should awl up to the tree line and follow that but Audrey spotted a signpost lying on the ground. This suggested we should carry straight on, but that would begin to take us down the hill, so we headed up for a short while then started to come down again at which point Gwyneth spotted a marker post below us and we were back on track. We joined a sheep trail that took us across the top of a gully and up to the tree line.
On the OS map the SUW leaves the trees and heads directly down into Robber’s Cleugh and one of my SUW books describes grassy steps descending the steep sides of the cleugh. The SUW marker posts however kept us alongside the trees and down into the cleugh beside the fence. The route then heads along the cleugh, passing through two SUW gates either side of a wee gully, before joining a forestry track where it crosses the burn. This must be an alteration from the route on the OS maps and guidebooks. Older maps have Robbers’ Cleugh rather than Robber’s Cleugh. Was it one, or many?
The forestry track had several large tree trunks beside it that were just what we needed for lunch seating. Comfortable dry seating makes such a difference to a walk.
After lunch we carried on along the track through Roughside Wood which took us past the 200 mile mark from the official SUW distances, but was 216 miles for us. (That would be just 210 miles if we exclude additional distances walked off the SUW such as visiting Minch Moor summit, or walking off SUW to the car.).
This track was high above Whiteadder Water with a steep drop. We couldn’t see the river very well at this stage but there were other things to see. Squirrels ran across the track a couple of times but I wasn’t fast enough with the camera. There were banks of fine grass that looked like green waterfalls and masses of hair-cap moss. After the dry ground of the start of this section, I was surprised to find muddy puddles on this track.
Lammermuir Kirk
I wondered how we would get down to the level of the river and if we had a steep descent ahead of us. As it was, though, once we left the trees the the track descended none too steeply and we were soon by the river. We had good views of a heron which then flew off downstream. There were more flowers by the river including some wild geraniums.
Abbey St Bathans was not far away and soon enough we were stood beside the village’s red phone box, and GR post box. We walked by Lammermuir Kirk and a house with an SUW sign, perhaps a B&B?
Gurkha Bridge
A footbridge took us across the Whiteadder and into Shannabank Wood. I mentioned that it had been built by Gurkhas in 1987 and Gwyneth was very impressed that I knew this. I did know this before the walk but beside that there was a plaque by the bridge that said the same. The Whiteadder was certainly a pretty river and reminded me of both the Water of Milk and Annan Water from the Annandale Way.
Our final section was a woodland walk, the forget-me-nots had such bright colours that they looked to have been photoshopped into reality. I did begin to have some misgivings in these last minutes of the walk. I should have checked that there was still a bridge back across the Whiteadder to the car. If there wasn’t I might have to use the ford.
We crossed footbridge over a small burn and saw a substantial tree house in a garden nearby and then found ourselves at the ford. I could see my car across the river and there was a footbridge. The ford was there as well, but it was part ford and part bridge and stood dry above the water. An ostrich made of scrap metal watched me as I decided between the bridge and the ford.
I decided to use the ford and the water flowing beneath it looked so inviting that I did what I had dreamed of all along the SUW. I took off my boots and dangled my bare feet in the cool waters. Joy.
The Riverside Restaurant near which we were parked was too inviting to ignore so we had ginger beer sitting in its courtyard watching swallows darting about. The restaurant looks to have been a saw-mill in its previous life and is both a gallery and a restaurant now. There is a sawmill across the road so I presume that business merely moved to new premises.
I had not particularly enjoyed the last section, but this short section was very pleasant, and we had good weather while walking. The rain came as we drove home.
One more section to go.
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Route: Up on Dalveen Rig, down the western ridge. Highest point Steygail 573m
Steygail means Steep Gable and it stands guarding the Dalveen Pass, a massive steep sided hulk that doesn’t lend itself to being climbed with its adjacent hills being separated from them by steep sided valleys. Its shape is reminiscent of a sleeping dog, but with its tail extended. My route took me up the steep sides of its hind-quarters, along the top of its curved back, up its neck to the summit at the top of its head, then down its nose. The downside was that I had to climb back over its hind-quarters again on the way back.
Dern Craig
The forecast had been for rain but that came later so I got sunshine for the walk. There is parking space just off the A702 (a lay-by) with excellent views of Dern Craig. My SMC Southern Uplands book suggests this as a descent route from Steygail. In the photo it seems OK but it looks steeper in real life and definitely wasn’t the way for me. Mountaineers would breeze down it I’m sure, but a hillwalker like me, no thanks.
The track to Dalveen has a sign both for “Dalveen”, but also one of the Covenanter’s Trail signs “CT18”. I had searched for more information on the Covenanters’ Trail signs when I first saw one near Mitchellslacks. After this walk I tried again, and again it was in vain. Somewhere there must be a list.
This area felt the effects of Scotland’s Killing Times in the seventeenth century. A troop of Dragoons escorting prisoners along the Enterkin Pass was ambushed by a group of Covenanters, killing the commander and rescuing some prisoners. A its height the Covenanters had a an army of 30,000 that played a major role in the wars of the three kingdoms (the English Civil War). My day was free of ambushes, and indeed once I left the A702 I didn’t see another soul. Times are more peaceful now.
The farm track descended to cross the Dalveen Burn then began a gradual climb, passing the buildings at Dalveen. I see there is a covenanters memorial nearby, but I only realised that after the walk. A sign on the A702 said there was parking for an art studio, but I didn’t see any obvious sign of the studio.
Past the buildings at Dalveen I took a track up the hillside, which passed through a stand of trees that was infested with flies, but luckily they seemed to like the trees and didn’t follow me when I left the trees. This track zig-zagged a bit and brought me to the col between Dalveen Rig and Nether Dalveen Dod. I had planned to walk to the fence then follow that onto Dalveen Rig but once there I found a quad bike track heading up Dalveen Rig and followed that, saving myself a few metres.
Bracken covered Bught Hass
This was me on the hind-quarters of the sleeping dog, Nether Dalveen Dod being the tail. I then had a gradual climb along the Rig with Glenvalentine separating me from Steygail’s summit. The hill curls to the left around Glenvalentine and the ATV track I was following took a more direct route, cutting off a corner. I chose to carry on directly up, staying near the fence (which isn’t on the OS25k). With a little more up and down I was soon at the top of Steygail. The hill has a flat boggy top with no summit marker and no obvious summit so I wandered about all the possible highest points then squatted for a drink there being nowhere to sit.
Lowther from Steygail
Steygail Summit
The views from Steygail, and its ridges, included the Lowther Hills with their radar equipment, the Cold Moss-Comb Head ridge from our SUW outings, the Durisdeer Hills, Cairnkinna with its visible cairn, Criffel, the two bigger Cairnsmores, the Enterkin and Dalveen Passes and the Nithsdale valley.
The head of the Enterkin Pass
I choose to descend along the unnamed western ridge, and Cairnkinna was my direction guide. This was not particularly steep but did challenge my knees a little (and my thighs are aching after it). I joined the route along the Enterkin Pass at just about the only place an ambush could be set up. I had read that the ambush was on the steep sides of the pass but that seems unlikely there being no hiding places.
The downside of this way down is that it goes down to Enterkin Pass and requires a 100m climb back out over the Dalveen Rig-Nether Dalveen Dod col. There is however a gravel track that zig-zags up the hill.
Once back up I then followed the track I had used earlier back to the start point.
Track near Dalveen
This was a pleasant walk with good views.There were plenty of summer wildflowers to see on the walk and a couple of hares that were too quick for photos. There were some birds of prey flying about but not close enough that I could identify them.
Route: SUW Lauder to Watch Water Reservoir, highest point Twin Law 447m
It was three and a quarter hours of driving to get to the start, having left a car at Watch Water. From Lauder at the car park with an SUW information board we set off in beautiful sunshine, with sunscreen applied. Just before the church an SUW sign took us along a lane past a small cottage, a plaque informing us it was once Lord Lauderdale’s school, and a house with an extensive collection of garden gnomes.
At the A68 we had a glimpse of Thirlestane Castle, but despite all the signs along the road encouraging us to visit the castle, once inside the grounds it was a different story. The signs there said it was closed. But what the grounds of Thirlestane really lack are signs pointing out the route of the SUW.
Thirlestane
We continued along an estate road and across a footbridge over Leader Water. Some nearby plinths suggested that there had once been a more substantial bridge here. We crossed a strange cattle grid that looked like a cross between a normal cattle grid and a stile and walked across a field watched by sheep and cattle. There was no obvious track or indication of our route but I thought I could see a marker post in the middle of an adjacent field. One of the cattle grid/stile contraptions got us into the field.
Once at the post we found it was not an SUW marker but just a post in the middle of a field. Why? So we headed across towards some trees and noticed a path on the far side of the fence. I decided to climb the fence and get back on what I presumed was the right path. I realised it was an electrified fence when while straddling it I got an unpleasant jolt on the inside of my left thigh and heard my teeth clack together. The last time I got a shock from an electric fence it had been rather a mild sensation like touching a thorn. This was an entirely different level of jolt. I have climbed electric fences before but always thought little of it. I’ll take more care now. Presumably the teeth clenching was a reflex to pain rather than an effect of the current itself.
The Thicket
Once back on the right track we found one of the elusive SUW markers. We then had half a kilometre of woodland walking which was just perfect given the strong sunshine, but then we were back in the open and began a slow climb up a farm track, across the A697 and through the farm buildings of the strangely named Wanton Walls. I don’t know what I was expecting but the walls seemed rather normal, certainly not immodest or promiscuous. There was a small statuette of a pig.
Eildons from Wanton Walls
After the farm buildings the track climbed further to an aerial just before the woods. The views here were back to the Eildons, while closer to us a bull stood watching over cows and calfs that were lying down in the fields. We joined a different track at the woods that led us a little further up until we left the trees. Then we walked across meadows filled with summer flowers, sheep and lambs to the top of a 330m unnamed hill. We paused there for a breather and a drink with our first view of the moors ahead.
SUW marker posts led us down to Snawdon Burn. I won’t grace the crossing by calling it a bridge. The burn is an unimpressive trickle that passes under the path through a pipe. Before that though we were faced with a flooded and muddy area to cross. In wet weather this would be difficult to cross without getting wet and muddy but on this hot dry day we found a way across with only a little mud on our boots.
Seat at Snawdon
You would expect the SUW to carry on up the next hill, and a quad bike track went that way. The SUW however turns left here over a stile and passes by a small loch an that had yellow flax growing from its sides. A seat has been constructed in the wall here, and even the ground around it mowed. After a short distance and another stile the SUW turns right again and heads up to the col below Heugh Hill. Once over the col we came to a field where all greenery had been cleared leaving it looking like a desert. A lone hare raced across ahead of us.
Once across the dirt and back on grass we headed down to the footbridge over Blythe Water. A nearby sign informed us that it had been built in 1993 by the OTC. I had been expecting quite a climb on the far side of Blythe Water, but my map is marked with 5m contours which made it look worse worse than it actually was. By now we were walking on moorland rather than farmland, in the Lammermuirs proper.
Lunch time was approaching so the clouds cut out the sunshine, the temperature dropped and the terrain became devoid of anything that could be used as a seat. We continued a slow climb up Scoured Rig across ground that could have been boggy but luckily was relatively dry. On Scoured Rig there were good views of both the Cheviots and the Eildons. When we emerged from the trees, above Braidshawrig, we had clocked up 200 miles so paused briefly for photos.
At 200 miles
There was a descent to Braidshawrig then a climb back up onto the moors. There is a definite track to follow which I think must be the old Herring Road. On we walked. There is no other way to say this, but the next few miles were a boring trudge across the moors with little to see.
We passed a derelict barn, noticed heather, thistles, cotton grass and blueberry. There were a few birds including oyster catchers, curlews and grouse. The walkers we had met during the last section, who were walking the SUW east to west had said that this section was really good, but that’s not how it felt to us. To rub in the boringness the track took us on a dog leg away from Twin Law before taking us back.
The Herring Road, Twinlaw in the distance
Eventually the gradient increased and we climbed up to Blythe Edge. We met a fence here and turned right onto a narrower footpath. The OS map has Rutherford’s Cairn marked near here but we didn’t see it. Eventually we reached the top of Twin Law which is topped by two large cairns and a trig pillar. The cairns are said to commemorate two brothers who died fighting for rival armies, one Saxon, one Scots, at the battle of Twinlaw. Each cairn has an inset seat facing towards the Cheviots. These cairns were apparently used for target practice by tanks in WW2 and were subsequently rebuilt which probably explains why they look to be in such good repair.
Twin Law Cairns
Audrey had wondered if we might be able to see the sea from here but visibility wasn’t particularly good so our view of the sea will have to wait for another day.
From the heights of Twin Law we headed down a well defined footpath to a road that crosses Watch Water. There is small wooden footbridge is the road bridge and that presumably was the SUW’s way across before this road was built. The road looked to me like those that service turbine farms.
From the road we took a farm track through Scarlow. The fields here were filled with sheep and we saw one poor rabbit that looked very unwell. Finally we crossed the dam at Watch Water reservoir and walked back to the car, our feet telling us that they had walked enough for the day.
SUW kist
We found the coin hoard in a wooden structure beside a fence junction on the moors. It also had SUW badges inside.
Posted inBorders|TaggedPaths, SUW|Comments Off on SUW17: The Lammermuirs
15 miles 5h 45m 682m ascent; max elevation 305m on Woodheads Hill
Route: SUW Gala to Lauder
What more could we ask for? The Southern Upland Way in sunshine, with riverside and farmland walks, plenty of wild flowers, hawthorn and gorse in bloom, lambs and calves in the fields and a place to sit for lunch. We set off from the car park of Gala swimming pool, walked past the pencil bollards and rejoined the SUW where we had left it last time by Gala woods.
Eildons from Gala Hill
The route to the Tweed took us across the lawn like grass of Scott Park, past a residential home and the entrance to Galashiels Academy. Then the SUW signs guided us along Elm Row and Barr Road, and past houses of gradually increasing size until we left the roads and walked along the slopes of Gala Hill, watched by lambs in the fields.
Lamb on Gala Hill
At a gate where the track meets the fields there is a memorial with the inscription: “Here, Roger Quin, Author of Borderland, Gazed on Scotland’s Eden, from the spur of Gala Hill. This poet playwright and lover of the Borders was born on the 25th June 1850 and died in Dumfries on the 31st July”. We too paused to gaze upon the Scotland’s Eden.
On the front of this book he is stood where the memorial now stands.
Coming off Gala Hill, past even larger houses we passed a strange contraption built into a wall.
I was expecting to follow the SUW down to the banks of the Tweed but at the A7 we found signs telling us the SUW had been diverted along the A7 and A609. It then dropped down to the Tweed and followed the riverbank along the waymarked Borders Abbey Way until rejoining the original SUW near Skirmish Hill. The original SUW route had been along a tarmac track along the route of an old railway but I think the riverside walk is an improvement. It was particularly pleasant since the sun was shining strongly as we walked in the shade of trees with wildflowers by the path. There was even a double-barrelled kissing gate.
There is an SUW information board a little way before the Chain Bridge at Melrose which has a seat and a grand view of the river tumbling white over rocks. We met a couple of walkers here who like us were walking the SUW a day at a time, but going in the opposite direction.
The Chain Bridge has signs with its year of construction (1826) and warnings that only eight people at a time should be on it. The penalty for contravening various byelaws relating to the bridge is apparently a fine of £2 or imprisonment.
Gattonside Chain Bridge
We crossed the bridge taking care not to loiter, climb, intentionally swing, or ride a bicycle, so that we were not imprisoned or fined. Had we thought to bring a light carriage (not exceeding 3cwt) we could have taken it across, by hand, since it was between sunrise and sunset. There was then a further kilometre of riverside walking with ducks and ducklings paddling along beside us. I made the schoolboy error of bending down to let a wee (wet) dog sniff my hand, and had a sample of the River Tweed shaken onto me.
The easy riverside walking soon came to an end and the path took us up to the B6360 and from there up a farm track. We could see a group of walkers ahead of us, the first large group we have seen on the SUW, I think. They were dawdling though, or at least stopping to look at birds, so we overtook them quite soon. There were good views of the Eildons from here but the light was wrong for photos.
Hawthorn in bloom at Easter Housebyres
The next few miles were across farmland with cattle or sheep. At times we were on hawthorn lined grassy tracks but most of the time was walking through fields. Lunch-time crept up on us and we began looking for a place to stop, ideally in the shade. We eventually came across a couple of stout gate posts, but with no sign of the fence that they must once have been the way through. What there was however was an old stile that we could sit on. The sun eased off for us so we didn’t need any shade.
Our view during lunch was of a small unnamed lochan at NX541381. As I looked at it I realised it was much larger than it seemed with probably only a third of it being open water. I looked on older maps to see if it had a name but it was only marked as a marshy area on them.
Roman road?
After lunch we joined what on the OS map looked like a very straight road. This climbed slowly giving us another view back to the Eildons. I had thought this might be an old Roman Road since it was so straight but walking along it didn’t seem quite as straight. From what I can gather there is some uncertainty about the route the Roman road took between Melrose and Lauder, but the route we took is one of the possibilities.
Gorse lined track
This section seemed to drag a little and was mostly uphill. A couple of lambs met us on the track near Jeaniefield and behaved much as would expect pups to. Audrey thought they might have been hand-reared but assured me they would still go to market. She’s got farming blood in her that woman.
Eventually we reached Fordswell and left the road to return to walking across farmland. We found an Ultreia marker post but didn’t find the kist. By this time neither of us had the inclination to retrace our steps to search for it.
Cairn above Lauder
Somewhat saddened by our kist failure we plodded on through the meadows to Herriotside where after an unwelcome dip, and further climb we turned NW above the Lauder Burn and made our way down to the car park.
I had thought this section would be 13.5 miles, it felt like 16+, but was actually just under 15 miles. The walk along the River Tweed was pleasant but the farmland between Gattonside and Lauder was a bit of a drag. Still, the weather was good to us, the flowers were out, we are 15 miles further along the SUW and have begun the trek fro the Tweed to the North Sea.
Posted inBorders|TaggedSpring, SUW|Comments Off on SUW16: The Roman Road
The central section of the SUW, from the River Nith at Sanquhar to the River Tweed at Yair Bridge is 70.4 of the SUW’s 212 miles, though our journey clocked up 76.5 miles with 4403m ascent. This took us from Nithsdale, over the Lowther Hills, across the waters of the Potrail and Daer before they join to form the River Clyde, through Annandale, over the Ettrick Hills to the hills of Tweedsmuir and over the Minchmuir to the River Tweed at Yair.
Walking from the Nith to the Tweed took us out of Dumfries and Galloway and into the Scottish Borders. We crossed the watershed from where the rivers flow into the Irish sea and met those destined for the North Sea, while exchanging the ruggedness of the western marches for the more gentle landscapes of the east. The elements graced us with rain, snow, fog and sunshine; there were days when leaves did not stir and others when the winds made walking difficult. We were sometimes in wooly hats, gloves and multiple layers, sometimes in tee-shirts when suncream was an essential piece of equipment. There were days of fine visibility and others when we became lost in the mist. We have climbed over trees (felled by the wind and blocking our route), waded through mud, and taken our rests in the pouring rain, but on others days gazed at the scenery with the sun on our faces and skipped merrily along firm springy grass. And since we descended from a height of 132m at Blackaddie Bridge on the Nith to 118m at Yair bridge on the Tweed it was, overall, downhill. We found 4 kists and missed one.
Easy walking on paths climbing out of Sanquhar, then two possible SUW routes across the hills to reach the valley of Wanlock Water: a lower level track through forest or an upland moorland route. We chose the latter. The alternative route is described in SUW 9.2: Cogshead again. Black Loch is 410m off the SUW and not particularly exciting.
Look out for: Matthew’s Folly, the extensive mineworkings at Wanlockhead (and a mining museum), the lead mining museum, views to Criffel, Kist
Moorland walking sometimes without tracks, where I lost my way in the mist. Quite a bit of up as well as down between Lowther Hill (723m) and the valley of Potrail Water, where the Clyde is born, then forestry tracks for the rest of the section.
Look out for: Lowther’s golfball, the SUW’s highest point and halfway point (not the same place), Lanarkshire/D&G boundary, Daer dam, Kist
Trackless hillside, faint tracks in forest breaks and woodland tracks.
Look out for: orange topped pipeline markers, Brattleburn bothy, Foy’s Bridge, lizard and dragonfly carvings, Ben Wilson’s memorial, and the Crooked Road.
Country roads, woodland paths, riverside walks, and farm/forestry tracks. There is a low level route and a high level route. We took the latter with a steep zig-zag climb up Deep Gutter to Croft Head (637m). Stunning scenery.
Look out for: Craigmichen Scar, the change from west flowing to east flowing waterways, the D&G/Scottish Borders boundary, Over Phawhope bothy, Kist.
Lochside walking then relatively easy upland walking on grassy tracks.
Look out for: Tibbie Shiels Inn and its “weather station”, the Shinglehook sculpture, Dryhope Tower, “Cigarette Hill”, Blackhouse Tower, an Ultreia stone, Weather vane at Traquair.
Grassy tracks, some a little muddy, following the route of the old Cross Borders Drove Road and a final woodland section. Minch Moor summit is an additional 1.1km.
Look out for: Minch Moor bothy, Point of Resolution, Cheese Well, Wallace’s Trench, the Three Brethren, kist.
